The transformations in the ethos of economic elites: openness and social denegation in the production of elite conviction

Abstract

The article aims to comprehend the transformation of the values and premises of action of economic elites engaged with what is stated as social change in Brazil, based on the analysis of the Lemann Foundation’s transnational agency and “social opening” initiatives. Through a comprehensive and positional perspective, our documentary research (2002-2023) demonstrates how values historically characteristic of dominant fractions, such as merit and individualism, have given way to compositions with values such as diversity and responsibility, which is a global phenomenon. The study of the symbolic pillars of elite positions allows us to understand the social denegation involved in the production of elite conviction and the current forms of its sociodicy.

Keywords:
Elites; Social openness; Social denegation; International circulation; Lemann Foundation.